A man who was initially sentenced to 30 years in prison for the murder of another man who facilitated his mother’s adulterous relationship will now serve half of that sentence.
Robert Peter was sentenced by the Kokopo National Court on March 2 to 30 years in prison at the Kerevat Correctional Institution over the murder of Peter Pomat.
He filed an appeal against the jail term. This appeal was heard and allowed by a recent Supreme Court sitting in Kokopo, which substituted that 30 year jail term by half.
The Supreme Court found that the trial judge did not consider the emotional state of the 25-year-old man when deciding the jail term to impose as his punishment.
The three-judge bench was of the view that he was emotionally disturbed by his mother’s affair, which led him to stab the deceased with a screwdriver.
“This is a situation where the appellant (Peter) was in an emotional state over his mother’s infidelity. The bond between a mother and child is very strong and it is understandable that the appellant (Peter) saw the deceased as a cause of his mother’s and family’s disgrace,” the full court ruled.
The attack took place after a failed mediation between his parents regarding the affair.
In allowing the appeal, the court substituted the 30 year jail term with 15 years in prison to be served by Peter.
A further four years were suspended from that 15 year jail term.
He spent one year, 10 months and two days in pre-trial custody. That period will be deducted from his sentence.
Peter will now serve a remaining term of 10 years and two months in jail.